Rockies 3, Astros 2: Game 18 review

I didn’t see Geoff Blum’s alleged double that got called a flyout. Even so, I doubt it was a game-changer. The Astros allowed 15 baserunners Saturday night, so they were fortunate to hold the Rockies to 3 runs.

It is funny how a poor team’s weaknesses get exposed so quickly once the season starts. Here’s a list of the Astros’ weaknesses:

1. Getting on base: I love Michael Bourn and think he will be a good player, and they can’t live without him — they’re barely living with him — in center field. But his OBP is .307, which admittedly is better than they were getting out of the leadoff spot last year, but still is a number that needs to rise 50 points.

2. Defense: Wow, this is an awful defensive team. Here are some defensive categories and the Astros’ ranking in them:

fewest runs allowed, 84, tied for 11th in the league.

fewest hits allowed, 181, 15th.

fewest hits minus home runs, 157, 14th.

fewest home runs allowed, 24, 15th.

batting average against, .288, 14th.

OBP against, .338, 13th.

SLG against, .468, 16th.

SLGBIP against (slugging percentage on balls in play), .410, 13th.

Here’s a table showing NL pitching as batting statistics, thanks to Baseball-Reference.com with a few tweaks on my part.

3. Offense: Cecil Cooper is tinkering with the 3-4-5 guys. I honestly have no idea why this would change anything. What I would do: Pull a page from the Cardinals’ book and hit the pitcher eighth. Move Bourn or Matsui into the 9 hole, and bat Pence second. Hit Towles sixth — it looks like he can actually hit. So 1-9 the order would look like this: Bourn-Pence-Berkman-Lee-Tejada-Towles-third baseman-pitcher-Matsui. Or you could hit Towles second. So far he looks like a poor man’s Dwight Evans, and Dwight Evans would be in the Hall of Fame if it were up to me.